Sectional honey-frame



J. FORNOROOK. Sectional Honey Frame.

No. 243,674. Patented Jane 28,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES FORNOROOK, OF WATERTOWN, WISCONSIN.

SECTIONAL HON EY-FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,674, dated June 28,188 1.

Application filed May 13, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Jams FORNCROOK, ofWVatertown, in the county of J efi'erson and State of Wisconsin,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sectional Honey-Frames and I do hereby declare the follow ing to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in sectional honey-frames, theobject being to so construct them that they shall be stronger and in amore portable form than the frames now used for such purposes; and theinvention consists, essentially, in forming theframe from a single blankor piece of material having all the necessary grooves and recessesrequired to form a complete frame cut in it, the ends of the blank beingnotched or dentated and angular grooves cut across it at those pointswhich are to form the corners. Theseblanks,afterbeingthusprepared,maybepacked solidly in boxes or otherwisefor transportation, and when required for use are bent into the squareform and their ends united at one of the corners by means of theinterlocking notches or teeth, thus forming a complete frame ready foruse.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of one of the blanks, showing thevarious recesses and grooves with which it is supplied. Fig. 2 is anedge view of the blank, and shows the form and depth of the angulargrooves which form the corners of the frame. Fig. 3 shows the blank bentinto a square form with the ends united, making a complete frame readyfor use. Fig. 4 shows a modification of the groove or miter 0, Fig. 2.

The blanks for these frames are preferably formed from some light,tasteless, and comparatively tough wood, which will bend at the cornerswithout steaming or boiling, such as bass-wood or whitewood, thematerial being produced,by cutting itfrom the log in the form of a thickveneer, or by sawing into thin stuff and then planing both surfaces. Theblanks A are then cut from this material, of the proper width andlength, the ends dentated, as shown at a a, by means of a series ofcircular saws placed close together upon an arbor or other suitabletool, so that they will interlock when brought together. The recesses bb are then formed in its edges at such points in its length as willbring them at the top and bottom of the frames when set up in the hive.These recesses form openings, which allow space for the passage of thebees between the frames and for the ventilation of this part of thehive. Three triangular grooves, c c c, are then cut across the blank atsuch points in its length as will divide it into four nearly equalparts,

each of which forms one side of the frame after the blank is bent into aquadrangular shape. Thesetriangulargroovesarecutnearlythrough the blank,sufficient wood only being left to hold the parts firmly together.

As the sides of the grooves c are inclined toward each other at arightangle it follows that when the blank is bent into the form of aframe these grooves make perfectly-fitting miter-joints at three of itscorners, the fourth corner being .that at which the ends of the blankare united to each other by means of the interlocking teeth formedthereon.

In one of the spaces between two of the grooves c, and preferably thatwhich will form the top of the frame when placed in the hive, is formeda longitudinal groove, d, for the guide-strip, which makes a securepoint of attachment for the comb when the bees begin to build in theframes set side by side in the hive with the parts of the framecontaining the recesses b b at top.

These frames meet a want long felt by beekeepers, as those in common useare'eitherdovetailed or nailed together at the corners, and if set up atthe manufactory form a large bulk for transportation, and are veryliable to breakage in handling; but'if sold to the user in pieces to beput together by him the numerous joints to be made causeloss of time and5 produce a very fragile article when finished, which loses itsrectangular shape with the slightest rough usage, as the joints at thecor- 11ers lack the necessary strength and rigidity to hold them inshape.

IOO

honey-frames formed of a single piece of WOOd having transverse angulargrooves c, longitudinal groove d, and recesses b, all arranged in themanner shown and described. 15

In testimony thatIclaim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal this 6th day of May, 1879.

JAMES FORNOROOK. [L. s.']

Witnesses:

J. H. BOLLES, M. WILLIs P. KEYES.

